Hugo 2
Posted by: Diggerbj on 30 July 2017
I was lucky enough to be a relatively early recipient of the Chord Hugo 2. I've had it for over a month and resisted the temptation to post anything until I've had a chance to do a lot of listening. I read the hype on this forum for years and eventually decided to let me own ears decide. I did a home demo of Hugo 1 against my nDAC. It was clear the sound I preferred was the Hugo and as such placed an order for Hugo 2.
For easy reference my system is a Unitiserve, Hugo 2 (was nDAC), 202 + HCDR + NAPSC, 200, PCM 20.24. I use Chord EPIC digital and speaker cable. The interconnect is an Atlas but can't be any more specific. It was stored away during the Naim only years but dd cost £200+ about 7-8 years ago.
The first thing that grabbed my attention with Hugo 2 was the base, it was like I'd added power to the amplification. However it is controlled, not overblown. I feel my PMC speakers are working closer to what they are designed for. Next is soundstage. I never really noticed depth with the nDAC but on some recordings you get a proper impression of a voice at the front and instruments behind. I'm getting more details and really enjoy going through old favourites and hearing something in the background for the first time. Instruments sound very real. I think the accuracy of the timbre has been referred to by others, I can confirm it is my impression. Another attribute is the ease I can pick an instrument and follow it. All of this is presented in a cohesive manner. Everything sounds alive. It is easy to listen for hour after hour without fatigue.
I'm going to finish by saying i never heard my nDAC with a power supply so have no idea how it would compare. I sold the nDAC before Hugo 2 arrived so cannot offer an A/B comparison. However, there does seem to be enough interest in Chord DAC's on this forum to post my impressions.
Diggerbj posted:When referring to timbre i'm saying the instruments sound more realistic. For instance piano is closer to a live piano. It sounds very real. I'm afraid i'm not able to articulate as clearly as you might like so its just a summary of my impressions.
no worries - but try the description of comparing the experience of listening to favourite familiar tracks - that way you are least likely to get drawn into audiophile clichés - just use natural language 
So compare how the piano sounded on one with the other - they will both almost certainly have real traits but each solution will be emphasising perhaps on one trait more the other - like dynamics and pace on a Shostakovich piano concerto compared to say a Chopin waltz? Its fun to do this - and you also see that ultimately its all a case of compromises and choosing what is best for you.
For me an abstract difference was the Mandelbrot effect - that is I could listen seemingly far into the recording, like many of the rereleased Beatles masters on the Chord devices to get great apparent insight in how the tracks were recorded and mastered where as with the NDAC it really dug out a bass line and rhythm and transformed many aging 50s and 60s recordings. Sadly I could only keep one. However I now run a Hugo and a CDX2 for those different listening experiences with the CDX2 having some of the character of the NDAC
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Ali I think it's more a tease... clearly something as hugely successful, talked about and performant as the Hugo becomes an easy target. It matters not though surely? As those with top end Naim systems and Chord Electronics DACs are usually the ones smiling...
Simon-in-Suffolk posted:Ali I think it's more a tease... clearly something as hugely successful, talked about and performant as the Hugo becomes an easy target. It matters not though surely? As those with top end Naim systems and Chord Electronics DACs are usually the ones smiling...
lol, yes indeed, it is a level of music replay (Chord source and Naim amplifier) I simply only dreamt about when I was a teenager....